1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices with integrated multiple functional modalities which includes a TV mode and a computer mode. In particular, the present invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method of preventing "top-most" windows from being overlaid on a TV picture when a PC/TV is in TV mode.
2. Description of Related Art
Achieving convergence of various information, entertainment and communications technologies has become a much sought-after goal. A highly visible example of this trend is the attempt to integrate computer technologies (such as, for example, personal computer technologies) with consumer/home electronics technologies (such as, for example, television technologies, video game technologies, video telephony, video/laser disc technologies, et cetera). It is hoped that one of the products of this convergence would be a single integrated device for information, entertainment and communications, which device can, at least in part, utilize the available communications bandwidth, mass storage and graphics handling capabilities of the personal computer (PC) to deliver, store and display a variety of applications so as to provide a seamlessly unified audio-visual environment to consumers.
In spite of many recent advances in this area, several problems persist. One of the more significant difficulties relates to providing a user/viewer effective content control and engaging interactivity, preferably all in one machine, with selectable modes of "functionalities" that essentially appertain to experiences associated with different discrete entities, for example, a PC or a TV or a video/laser disc unit et cetera, such that the viewer can seamlessly make a transition from one functionality to another. Further, it can be appreciated that by providing a functionality that is as close as possible to a discrete unit in terms of the viewer's experience thereof, the convergence aspect of the machine is greatly enhanced. Such enhanced convergence may be necessary or desirable in relation to increasing the "appeal" and feature-set of the integrated device.
Current developments in this area fall into two broad categories. One category relates to conventional TV sets with access to the Internet or the World-wide Web. The other category relates to personal computers (PCs) with a limited TV functionality. Neither of these categories provide a "fully-converged" system wherein the viewer can seamlessly select from a broad "menu" of experiences, each of which comprises a functionality that is substantially identical to one offered by an individual discrete unit. Current TV sets with Web access do not offer the full range of PC functionality. On the other hand, current PCs operable with TV signals provide only a limited TV experience in that a TV application is typically displayed as a window on the PC desktop presented on the same monitor associated with the PC. Typically, the viewer does not experience in these systems a TV viewing environment that is identical to a conventional TV with over-scanned display images having enhanced brightness, sharpness, contrast and color temperatures, enhanced Red-Green-Blue (RGB) amplifier gains et cetera.
Furthermore, in a PC conveyed with a TV it is important that when the system is in a TV mode that the screen looks very similar to that of a TV. It is important that the user who does not understand how to operate a computer can operate the system in TV mode. For example, a user should not need to know how to manipulate a window or be concerned as to which window or keyword within a window has "focus".
It is also important that certain pieces of commercial software that create top-most windows on a computer screen are handled properly to stop the top-most windows from being overlaid on the TV picture in TV mode.
Accordingly, based upon the foregoing, it should be understood and appreciated that there is a need for a system that is more completely converged than is currently known or possible in order to provide a user/viewer with a seamless environment for education, entertainment, communications and information. Although systems such as TVs with Web access and PCs with TV in a window described above have been in existence for sometime, no current system is known to have all of the advantages and novel features of the system described and claimed hereinbelow.